Bar brawl police call ushers in new year

The week of Jan. 1-7 started with a bang for the Liberty Lake Police Department, who were called to assist the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office with a bar brawl on New Year’s Day at Boomers Tavern in the 18000 block of East Appleway Avenue. The caller, an employee of the bar, said a drunk man was starting fights with other patrons.

The employee told the 911 operator he was armed with a metal pipe but he never used it, said Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus. The case was turned over to the Sheriff’s Office.

The first day of the new year continued with a domestic violence call involving a 13-year-old boy in the 22000 block of Country Vista Drive at 5:15 p.m. Officers heard yelling inside the apartment when they arrived, Asmus said. The 13-year-old boy locked himself in his room but eventually came out, Asmus said. An investigation determined that he had assaulted his mother by hitting her and slamming her against the wall, he said. The boy was already on probation for a previous domestic violence assault. He was arrested and booked into the juvenile detention facility.

Just 15 minutes later officers were sent to a different apartment at the same address to check on an intoxicated man who was reportedly not coherent. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, Asmus said.

Employees at Freedom RV in the 19600 block of East Cataldo Avenue called police Friday to report that a new 2013 Forest Ridge Sunseeker 23-foot Class C motor home had been taken from their lot. It was stolen sometime after it was delivered to the business on Dec. 3, Asmus said. “They have hundreds and hundreds of RVs out there,” Asmus said. “They didn’t notice it missing until someone went to check on it.”

Police were called to an argument in the 23000 block of East Valleyway Avenue at 1 p.m. Saturday where a male was reportedly refusing to leave. When officers arrived they determined that the argument had been verbal only, but they also learned that the man involved was wanted on a warrant. He was arrested on the warrant, Asmus said.

Albertsons called to report a shoplifter at 9 a.m. Saturday. A woman reportedly put sausage, a brick of cheese and other items in her purse while shopping, Asmus said. The cashier spotted the food in the woman’s purse while she was paying for other items. She was detained by employees when she tried to leave, Asmus said.

The store said that the woman and her husband, who was waiting for her in a car in the parking lot, had been involved in numerous such thefts from area Albertsons, Asmus said. The woman was cited for theft and arrested on a warrant for driving with a suspended license.

During the week officers made three arrests for driving with a suspended license. They also handed out three citations for failure to show proof of liability insurance. Additional citations were given for license and plates required, parking in a handicap zone, defective tail light/license light, failure to dim headlights, defective muffler, failure to stop at a stop sign and speeding.